Heretofore there have been many different types of apparatus developed for the case packer field, and article brakes have been provided in certain of these prior patents including Copping U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,071. Such patent shows a plurality of individual brakes for engaging articles in different streams of abutted articles to stop, temporarily, flow of the articles downstream of the apparatus. While such prior type of brake has worked satisfactorily, it is always desirable to provide a less complicated apparatus, or one which is easier to maintain, operate and/or adjust than the prior apparatus.
In article packaging in the soft drink or other beverage field, frequently the number of bottles in the package case varies. Thus there can be 2, 3 or 4 or more rows in the case and there can be anywhere from 2 to 6 or more articles included in each row. Hence, it is very desirable in case packers to have them be able to alter readily the type of case being processed. This frequently involves changing the number of rows of abutted articles that are being fed into the case packer grid. In addition to the number of rows of articles being fed to the packer grid, also, the specific position of the bottles or articles to be restrained from flow into the grid will vary slightly in the direction extending longitudinally of the row of abutted articles being processed. Thus the article brake is just one of the various portions of the case packer that usually must be altered each time that the type of case being packed in the machine is varied, or if the article being processed is changed.